Planning a Community Celebration of the Original Influencer
BTHVN ROCKS WS
Branding
Strategy
Design
Web Development
Public Relations
Event
the why.
Mercedes-Benz of Winston-Salem wanted to mark its 50th anniversary in a way that would draw communitywide attention to the arts.
As a strategic marketing agency, we had the staff and skills to deliver everything the client needed — from grand idea to a 12-month plan for executing it. We put a full plan in place, with some room to wiggle, before the first event in January.
Client
BTHVN ROCKS WS
Disciplines
Graphic Design
Copywriting
Digital Media
Social Media
Public Relations
Event Planning
the celebration.
The challenge
Vela Agency learned that area arts organizations were discussing how to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. Funds, however, were limited. And Beethoven’s birthday was coming up quickly.
The objective
Our work began with taking what was a grassroots effort and doing the work required to make it look and feel cohesive, with branding, public relations, media relations and a coordinated calendar of events and social media.
insights.
Our connections with local arts leaders, knowledge of Winston-Salem and relationship with Mercedes-Benz locally helped us orchestrate important connections.
the look.
Graphic Design
With his wild hair and piercing eyes, Beethoven’s an identifiable icon. We took his well-known mug and made it even edgier, with colors and a tagline that celebrate him as the original influencer. The logo was the first step in bringing more than 30 arts groups together for the project.
- The logo was shared with all participating arts organizations to ensure consistent branding for all MBWS Presents events, social media and out-of-home advertising.
- A black-and-pink design balanced three key elements: Beethoven, the year-long celebration and the 50th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz of Winston-Salem.
- A graphic standards manual guided the use of images, hashtags and taglines by more than 30 different organizations.
Strategic Marketing Plan
Vela Agency’s strategic marketing plan for #BTVN Rocks WS included:
- A press conference to announce the arts collaboration and the role of Mercedes-Benz of Winston-Salem as the presenting sponsor
- The development of social media design elements, platforms and hashtags (#BTHVNROCKSWS) for people to find related content, information about events, and more; these were shared with participating arts organization to promote consistent tone and branding around the celebration
- The creation of a social media calendar and posts to promote events and share “did you know” information about Beethoven, the original influencer
- Out-of-home billboards, radio and TV placements
- WordPress website with a robust calendar to ensure information from 30 different groups was presented in a unified way
insights.
When the COVID-19 pandemic prompted event cancellations in March 2019, and eventually all events scheduled through December, we worked with the client to update the website and craft messages and announcements.
Although the pandemic meant the cancellation of many of our plans, the project helped build a foundation of collaboration that continues today.
Website
The quick and fun MBWSPresents.org website compiled all info about Beethoven-related events in one place.
This WordPress site with a robust calendar helped ensure information from 30 different groups was presented in a single place and in a unified way.
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